National Security

Iranian General Threatens Israel, U.S. if Iran's Nuclear Program Targeted

The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned on Sunday that if Israel decides to take military action against Iran’s nuclear program, his country's missiles will ensure “nothing will remain” of the Jewish state, the Associated Press reports.

Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, speaking at a news conference in Tehran, further warned that his country, if provoked, would close the Strait of Hormuz, attack U.S. bases in the region and withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Although Iran has warned of such destruction against Israel before, the AP reports that Jafari’s warning was unusually detailed and more strongly worded than previous attacks.

“Our response to Israel is clear: I think nothing will remain of Israel" should it attack Iran, he said, according to the AP. “Given Israel’s small land area and its vulnerability to a massive volume of Iran’s missiles, I don’t think any spot in Israel will remain safe.”

With its close ties to militants in Gaza and Lebanon, Jafari said it would first attack along Israel’s border. He said that any attack by Israel would most likely have the backing and support of the U.S., which would provoke Iran to attack U.S. bases.

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“The U.S. military bases sprawled around Iran are considered a big vulnerability,” he continued. “Even the missile shields that they have set up, based on information we have, could only work for a few missiles but when exposed to a massive volume of missiles, the shields will lose their efficiency and will not work.”

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Iran’s leadership for its “unbelievable fanaticism,” saying he doesn't trust Iranian rationality when dealing with potential conflict between the two counties.

“They put their zealotry above their survival,” he said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. “They have suicide bombers all over the place. I wouldn't rely on their rationality.”